How To Furnish An Apartment

Whether you’re furnishing your first apartment or fifth, moving to a new place offers the fun opportunity to decorate it to one’s tastes. You may have some existing furniture, or you may be starting from scratch. You may have a certain aesthetic in mind, or you may want to wing it. Whatever the case, there’s a lot that goes into finding apartment furnishings that make a new address feel like home.

Outfitting a residence with furniture that meets your needs and fits your tastes tends to be challenging and expensive. It often takes time and skill to pick the pieces that fit your particular personality and preferences. With that in mind, here’s a look at some top tips for how to furnish an apartment in a way that works for you.

Start With Necessities

While it’s easy to get excited about accessorizing, the building blocks of furnishing an apartment are those pieces that serve necessary functions. If you’re working with a blank slate, here are several must-haves on which to focus:

• A place to sleep: If there’s one thing your apartment needs to give you, it’s a place to sleep each night. Shop around for mattresses and bed frames, and you’ll see there are abundant possibilities. Keep in mind that just because a mattress is the most expensive doesn’t mean it’s the best. Look for models that hold up well.
• A place to eat: You can consume daily meals standing at the counter, but usually you’ll want a table or bar where one can sit down. Think beyond regular eating, too. Will you want to entertain? If so, you’ll need room for several people at your eating area.
• A place to sit: Couches, armchairs, dining chairs, and stools all cater to the same function: giving you a place to sit. Typically, you’ll want an anchoring piece of furniture for the living room, such as a couch, sectional or loveseat. Likewise, you’ll want chairs for the eating area and an office chair if you work from home.
• Kitchen tools: Even for the least culinary-minded individuals, everyday cooking requires pots and pans, cooking utensils, small appliances, and linens. Stock your space to enable meal prep, and make daily life more functional.
• Storage: Last but not least, you’ll want places to store belongings. Have a lot of books? Shelving or bookcases are a must. Want to showcase a collection of some kind? Furniture can make this possible. In the living room, you could keep extra blankets in baskets. The front entryway often benefits from wall hooks or a hangingrack for coats. Think about what you use in each part of your layout, and choose containers, cabinets, shelves and baskets accordingly. Organization makes a huge difference in how your space looks and feels day to day.

One more tip: whatever you’re buying, a little research can go a long way. In order to invest in the best you can afford, try to find out where products were made, how they’re constructed and what to expect in terms of longevity before you buy.

Know Where to Splurge

As anyone who’s moved more than once could tell you: a lot of furniture ends up going to a donation box. To avoid overspending on pieces you’ll end up ditching, try to think about your long-term needs. Ask yourself: what furniture would be worth packing and moving in a truck, and what would you leave behind? Only allow yourself to splurge on the items that you’re sure to keep. That bench that perfectly fits your uniquely shaped entryway, for example. It’s unlikely to work as well anywhere else.

Hunt Around for Furniture

You have all kinds of options for where to buy furniture. There are big-box stores and traditional retailers, but you can also shop furniture outlets, second hand stores or even mobile apps such as OfferUp or LetGo. Whether you hunt for a new dining table on Facebook Marketplace or find a great lamp at a garage sale, you may find excellent bargains by digging around a bit.

One more smart way to simplify and accelerate the furnishing process is to work with Downtown Apartment Collective. When you rent one of our luxury apartments, we’re available to help connect you with other companies that rent furniture and can possibly save you money in setting up the new space. Let us help you fill the apartment without having to rent a fully furnished unit. To learn more, reach out to us anytime!